1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic payment system, a payment apparatus and terminals thereof for electronic money transactions or financial dealings. More particularly, the present invention relates to processing payments by electronic money by validating the payments to prevent improper and fraudulent use.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional electronic payment system in which the payments on dealings are made by electronic money, there are possibilities of falsification and unfair use of the electronic money. Thus, the system was configured to use an improved encryption technique in order to prevent the disclosure of information regarding the electronic money, or to record the information regarding the electronic money on an IC (integrated circuit) card so as to allow the use and deposit of the electronic money only via an exclusive IC card reader.
The conventional electronic payment system using electronic money, described above, has a problem in that the exclusive IC card reader or a complicated authentication and encryption procedure is required so as to enhance security in order to prevent the falsification and unfair use of the electronic money, thus giving up the convenience of electronic money.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and convenient electronic payment system using electronic money, which is capable of overcoming the above drawbacks accompanying the conventional art. The above and other objects can be achieved by combinations described in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous and exemplary combinations of the present invention.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an electronic payment system that makes electronic money payment relating to a dealing, comprises: a payment terminal operable to store a first balance of electronic money for the electronic money payment relating to the dealing; a demanding terminal operable to communicate with the payment terminal to demand the payment; and a payment apparatus operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to store a second balance of electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal for validating the payment, wherein the demanding terminal receives from the payment terminal the first balance stored in the payment terminal and transmits the first balance to the payment apparatus, and the payment apparatus detects unfair use of the electronic money by checking the first balance stored in the payment terminal, which was received from the demanding terminal, with the second balance stored in the payment apparatus.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic payment system for making payment on a dealing by electronic money, comprises: a payment terminal operable to store a first reference number for electronic money for making payment on the dealing by the electronic money; a demanding terminal operable to communicate with the payment terminal to demand the payment; and a payment apparatus operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to store a second reference number to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal for allowing settlement of the payment on the dealing, wherein the payment apparatus updates the second reference number in accordance with a predetermined update rule, the payment terminal receives the update rule of the second reference number from the payment apparatus and updates the first reference number in accordance with the update rule, and in a case where the demanding terminal received from the payment terminal the first reference number stored in the payment terminal and then transmitted the first reference number to the payment apparatus, the payment apparatus checks the first reference number, received from the demanding terminal, with the second reference number stored in the payment apparatus to detect unfair use of the electronic money.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a payment apparatus that communicates with a payment terminal and a demanding terminal to make settlement on an electronic money payment for a dealing, the payment terminal being operable to store an electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing by the electronic money, the demanding terminal being operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the payment apparatus comprises: a memory unit operable to store a check balance of the electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal; a communication unit operable to receive, from the demanding terminal, a payment amount of the electronic money to be paid by the payment terminal; and a processor operable to update the check balance of the electronic money stored in the memory unit based on the payment amount received from the demanding terminal.
In a case where the communication unit received from the payment terminal a deposit-requested amount of the electronic money, the processor may update the check balance stored in the memory unit based on the deposit-requested amount, and the communication unit may transmit a new balance, obtained by the update, to the payment terminal.
The communication unit may receive the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, when the deposit-requested amount of the electronic money is received from the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, may transmit the new balance to the communication unit when the compared balances coincide, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The communication unit may receive from the demanding terminal the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, which is notified from the payment terminal, when the communication unit receives, from the demanding terminal, the payment amount to be paid by the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the demanding terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, may update the check balance stored in the memory unit when the compared balances coincide, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
In a case where the communication unit received a balance inquiry request from the payment terminal together with the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, and may transmit a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The communication unit may transmit a balance inquiry request to the payment terminal and may receive the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing from the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The memory unit may store a term of validity in relation to the electronic money, and in a case where the communication unit received the payment amount of the electronic money from the demanding terminal, the processor may not update the check balance of the electronic money stored in the memory unit based on the payment amount, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use, when a time that has passed after a start time, at which the communication unit transmitted, to the payment terminal, the new balance of the electronic money based on the deposit-requested amount, has gone beyond the term of validity.
The memory unit may store an update time in relation to the electronic money at which the check balance of the electronic money was last updated based on a previous payment amount, and in a case where the communication unit received the payment amount from the demanding terminal, the processor may not update the check balance of the electronic money when a predetermined time has not passed after the update time based on the previous payment amount.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a payment apparatus that communicates with a payment terminal and a demanding terminal to make settlement on an electronic money payment for a dealing, the payment terminal being operable to store a check reference number for the electronic money for making payment on the dealing, the demanding terminal being operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the payment apparatus comprises: a memory unit operable to store a reference number of the electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal; an operation unit operable to update the reference number in accordance with a predetermined update rule; a communication unit operable to receive, from the demanding terminal, the check reference number of the electronic money, which the demanding terminal was notified from the payment terminal; and a processor operable to compare the reference number stored in the memory unit with the check reference number received from the demanding terminal to validate the electronic money.
In a case where the communication unit received a deposit request for the electronic money from the payment terminal, the communication unit transmits the update rule for updating the reference number to the payment terminal. The update rule may uniquely determine the reference number based on an initial value and time information to provide different reference numbers for different initial values or different time information. The time information may be a time that has passed after a start time at which the communication unit transmitted the update rule to the payment terminal. The initial value may be an irrational number, and the update rule may select a number at a decimal place of the irrational number as the reference number, the decimal place being determined based on the time information.
The memory unit may store a number corresponding to the number of times the payment terminal performed dealings using the electronic money, the number being stored to correspond to the identification number of the payment terminal, and the update rule may uniquely determine the reference number based on an initial number and the number of times the payment terminal performed dealings in such a manner that the reference number is different when the initial value or the number of times is changed.
The memory unit may store a term of validity of the electronic money, and in a case where the term of validity has expired, the operation unit may change the update rule, the communication unit may transmit the changed update rule to the payment terminal, and the processor may update the term of validity stored in the memory unit.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a recording medium storing a computer program that enables communication with a payment terminal and a demanding terminal for making settlement on an electronic money payment for a dealing, the payment terminal being operable to store an electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, the demanding terminal being operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the program comprises: a storing module that enables a computer to store a check balance of the electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal; a communication module that enables the computer to receive, from the demanding terminal, a payment amount of the electronic money to be paid by the payment terminal; and a processing module that enables the computer to update the check balance of the electronic money based on the payment amount received from the demanding terminal, wherein the communication module enables the computer to receive the electronic money balance from the payment terminal when receiving a deposit-requested amount of the electronic money from the payment terminal, and the processing module enables the computer to compare the electronic money balance received from the payment terminal with the check balance, transmit a new balance obtained by the update when the compared balances coincide, and notify a manager of the computer of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use of the electronic money.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a recording medium storing a computer program for enabling communication with a payment terminal and a demanding terminal to make settlement on an electronic money dealing, the payment terminal being operable to store a check reference number of electronic money for making payment on the dealing by the electronic money, the demanding terminal being operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the program comprises: a storing module that instructs a computer to store a reference number of the electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal; an operation module that instructs the computer to update the stored reference number in accordance with a predetermined update rule; a communication module that instructs the computer to receive from the demanding terminal the check reference number of the electronic money, which the demanding terminal was notified from the payment terminal; and a processing module that instructs the computer to compare the stored reference number with the check reference number received from the demanding terminal to validate the electronic money, wherein the update rule uniquely determines the stored reference number based on an initial value and time information in such a manner that the stored reference number is changed when the initial value or the time information is changed.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a demanding terminal that communicates with a payment apparatus, which settles electronic money payment on a dealing, and a payment terminal, which makes electronic money payment on the dealing, the demanding terminal, which demands the payment on the dealing, comprises: a first communication unit operable to communicate with the payment terminal and to receive a check reference number of the electronic money from the payment terminal; a second communication unit operable to communicate with the payment apparatus, to transmit the check reference number of the electronic money to the payment apparatus, and to receive a result of a validation of the electronic money; and a processor operable to calculate a payment amount of the electronic money to be paid by the payment terminal and to make the second communication unit send the payment amount to the payment apparatus, in a case where the second communication unit received a signal indicating that the validation of the electronic money was successful.
The processor may make the first communication unit send the payment amount to the payment terminal in a case where the second communication unit received the signal indicating that the validation of the electronic money was successful, and the processor may make the second communication unit send the payment amount to the payment apparatus in a case where the first communication unit received a confirmation signal for the payment amount from the payment terminal.
The first communication unit may receive, from the payment terminal, an electronic money balance, for making electronic money payment on the dealing, stored in the payment terminal, and the second communication unit may send the electronic money balance stored in the payment terminal to the payment apparatus for validating the electronic money balance stored in the payment terminal with a check balance for the electronic money, stored in the payment apparatus.
The first communication unit may communicate with the payment terminal by optical communication or short-distance communication to receive from the payment terminal an identification number for identifying the payment on the dealing, and the second communication unit may communicate with the payment apparatus via a telephone line or a private communication line to send the identification number to the payment apparatus.
In a case where the first communication unit received from the payment terminal information regarding a start point, at which a user of the payment terminal started to use the electronic money, the processor may calculate the payment amount based on a distance moved by the user from the start point.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, a payment terminal for communicating with a payment apparatus, which is operable to store a balance of electronic money for making settlement on a dealing by the electronic money, and a demanding terminal, which is operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the payment terminal, which makes the electronic money payment on the dealing, comprises: a first communication unit operable to communicate with the payment apparatus and to receive, from the payment apparatus, the balance of the electronic money stored in the payment apparatus; a memory unit operable to store the balance of the electronic money received by the first communication unit; a second communication unit operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to receive a payment amount of the electronic money from the demanding terminal; and a processor operable to update the balance of the electronic money stored in the memory unit based on the payment amount.
The first communication unit may receive the balance of the electronic money from the payment apparatus in a case where a deposit-requested amount of the electronic money was sent to the payment apparatus.
The second communication unit may send the balance stored in the memory unit to the payment apparatus for validating the balance, when sending the deposit-requested amount of the electronic money to the payment apparatus, and may receive a new balance from the payment apparatus in a case where the validation of the balance was successful.
The second communication unit may send the balance stored in the memory unit to the payment apparatus when a predetermined time has passed after a time at which the new balance was received from the payment apparatus, and may receive a result of the validation of the balance.
The memory unit may store a term of validity of the electronic money, and the processor may notify a user of the payment terminal that the electronic money is unavailable in a case where a time that has passed after a start time, at which the second communication unit received the new balance from the payment apparatus, has gone beyond the term of validity.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a payment terminal that communicates with a payment apparatus and a demanding terminal to make payment on a dealing using electronic money, the payment apparatus stores a reference number of the electronic money for making settlement on the dealing by electronic money, the demanding terminal demands the payment on the dealing, the payment terminal comprises: a memory unit operable to store a check reference number of the electronic money; a first communication unit operable to communicate with the payment apparatus and to receive from the payment apparatus an update rule for updating the check reference number stored in the memory unit; an operation unit operable to update said check reference number stored in said memory unit in accordance with said update rule; and a second communication unit operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to send the check reference number, after being updated by the operation unit, to the demanding terminal.
The first communication unit may receive from the payment apparatus the update rule for updating the check reference number in a case where a deposit-requested amount of the electronic money is sent to the payment apparatus. The update rule may uniquely determine the check reference number based on an initial value and time information in such a manner that the check reference number is changed when the initial value or time information is changed. The time information may be a time period that has passed after a time at which the update rule was received by the first communication unit. The initial value may be an irrational number, and the update rule may select a number at a decimal place of the irrational number as the check reference number, the decimal place being determined based on the time information.
The memory unit may store a number of times that dealings using the electronic money were performed, and the update rule may uniquely determine the check reference number based on an initial value and the number of times that dealings were performed in such a manner that the check reference number is changed when the initial value or the number of times is changed.
The memory unit may store a term of validity of the electronic money, and in a case where the term of validity has expired, the first communication unit may send a change request for the update rule to the payment apparatus and may receive a changed update rule from the payment apparatus, while the operation unit updates the term of validity stored in the memory unit.
The first communication unit may communicate with the payment apparatus by wireless telecommunication, and the second communication unit may communicate with the demanding terminal by optical communication or short-distance wireless communication to send an identification number for identifying the payment terminal to the demanding terminal.
The second communication unit may receive from the demanding terminal start point information regarding a start point at which a user of the payment terminal starts to use the electronic money, the memory unit may store the start point information, and the second communication unit may send the start point information to the demanding terminal so that the payment amount is calculated based on a distance moved by the user from the start point, in a case where the user finishes using the electronic money.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a communication adapter, to which a payment terminal for making electronic money payment on a dealing is attached, whereby the payment terminal communicates with a charging system for a toll road, the communication adapter comprises: a detection unit operable to detect an electric wave signal transmitted from the charging system; and a control unit operable to make the payment terminal, attached to the communication adapter, communicate with the charging system by wireless communication to send the charging system a check reference number of electronic money stored in the payment terminal for validation of the electronic money, in a case where the electric signal from the charging system was detected.
The communication adapter may further comprise a sound notification unit operable to generate a first sound for notifying a result of the validation of the electronic money, in a case where the result of the validation of the electronic money was received from the charging system.
The payment terminal may send a balance of the electronic money to the charging system, and the sound notification unit may generate a second sound for notifying a shortage of the balance of the electronic money, in a case where the shortage of the balance was notified from the charging system.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, a payment terminal for communicating with a charging system of a toll road to pay toll by electronic money, comprises: a memory unit operable to store a check reference number of the electronic money; a detection unit operable to detect an electric wave signal transmitted from the charging system; and a communication unit operable to communicate with the charging system to send the check reference number, stored in the memory unit, to the charging system, in a case where the detection unit detected the electric wave signal.